Full Mouth Reconstruction – Minor dental problems are very common, and are fortunately pretty easy to fix. But what happens when multiple issues are present at once? When the smile has been damaged by decay, tooth loss, gum disease, and other dental complications it may feel impossible to restore it to its naturally healthy state, but that’s not the case.
Full mouth reconstruction addresses a wide range of oral health problems to restore dental health, strength, and functions. Here, the doctors at Boston Prosthodontics Dental Group outline the full mouth reconstruction planning process that their Boston, MA, patients go through prior to dental treatment.
Dental Evaluation
The first step of full mouth reconstruction planning is a thorough exam and consultation. It is important to assess the state of the teeth, gums, and other soft tissues of the mouth, as well as to listen to the patient’s specific goals for their smile.
Most of our Boston patients come in with a general idea about some of the work that needs to be done. For instance, if tooth loss has occurred it is obvious that it will need to be treated. However, there are often underlying concerns that the patient may not be aware of. Getting the full picture is essential to treating current dental problems as well as the conditions that may have led to them.
The initial evaluation for full mouth reconstruction often takes between an hour and an hour and a half. We ask the patient a number of questions about oral care practices, dental habits, points of concern, and their goals for treatment. We also perform a number of diagnostic exams, which may include a visual examination, x-rays, and computerized tomography scans.
Creating a Treatment Plan
Based on the findings of the dental examination and consultation, our doctors create an appropriate treatment plan. Full mouth reconstruction is completely personalized to each patient’s unique needs, so it may involve any number of restorative dentistry and/or periodontal treatments, including:
- Bone grafting
- Tooth extraction
- Antibiotic treatment (if gum disease or infection are present)
- Root planing and scaling
- Dental fillings
- Root canal therapy
- Dental crowns
- Dental bridges
- Dentures
- Dental implants
Scheduling Dental Procedures
The goal of full mouth reconstruction is to completely restore the smile by combining necessary restorative dentistry treatments into as few dental appointments as possible.
Many of the above mentioned procedures can be performed together, but it is often necessary to plan full mouth reconstruction in phases. For example, if a patient is undergoing dental implant treatment, but the jaw bone has deteriorated, they will need to undergo a bone graft before dental implant treatment can begin. Similarly, if any periodontal issues are present, those should be addressed prior to dental complications, because the teeth cannot thrive without the support of a healthy gum line.
Once the necessary dental treatments have been identified, our Boston doctors talk to patients about how treatment will be mapped out, and how many dental appointments will be needed to complete full mouth reconstruction.
Contact Us
If you had given up hope of ever again enjoying a strong, healthy, attractive smile, full mouth reconstruction may be the solution you are looking for. To find out how the dentists at Boston Prosthodontics Dental Group can rebuild your smile, send us a message online, or call (617) 582-2479 to schedule a dental evaluation.